Chair with resiliently supported seat



OctvM, 1958 B. F. HAMILTON CHAIR WITH RESILIENTLY SUPPORTED SEAT Filed June 24, 1953 1 INVENTOR. 545287161 121M114 702v; BY."

ATTOF/VM United States Patent i CHAIR WITH RESILIENTLY SUPPORTED SEAT Bertis F. Hamilton, Columbus, Ind.; William S. Hamilton, executor of said Bertis F. Hamilton, deceased, assignor to Hamilton Manufacturing Corporation, Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application June 24, 1953, Serial No. 363,781

8 Claims. (Cl. 155-18) This invention relates to an article of furniture, more specifically a baby jumper, and has for its object the provision of such an article which will have desired characteristics of springiness and sturdiness, and which will be of attractive appearance and economical construction. Another object is to provide such an article which can be shipped in at least a partially knocked-down condition, and which can be readily assembled by thepurchaser using only the simplest of tools. These and other objects will become apparent as the features of my invention are understood.

In carrying out my invention in a preferred embodiment, I provide a base, conveniently in the form of a continuous length of tubular metal bent to provide two longitudinal inverted U-shaped side-portions the front legs of which are integrally interconnected at their upper ends by a transverse stretch. At each side of the base I provide a resilient seat-supporting side member preferably in the form of a continuous length of resilient stock having one end connected to the base near a front corner thereof. From such front corner the member extends rearwardly to a point near the rear of the base, thence upwardly for a distance, thence forwardly to form a seat-support, and finally downwardly and rearwardly for connection to the base at the rear thereof. A cross-member, conveniently in the form of a tray, interconnects the front ends of the forwardly extending portions of the side members. The rear end of each seat-support is provided with socket means for carrying an inverted U-shaped back frame which is secured to and projects upwardly from the rear portions of the side members. The seat is desirably formed from a piece of fabric or like material cut and sewed to provide a back pocket, a seat portion, side portions, and a crotch strap. The back pocket is adapted to be drawn downwardly over the back frame, and the side portions and crotch strap are adapted for connection to the seat-supporting side-member portions and to the cross member, respectively.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention:

Fig. l is a side elevation of an assembled baby jumper embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial rear elevation showing relative positions of the back frame and the socket during a step in assembling .the device; a

Fig. 4 is a fragmental vertical section showing the socket means for attaching the back frame, with the back frame in place therein; and

Fig. 5 is a generally horizontal section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

The baby jumper shown comprises a pair of spaced, resilient side members 10, each of which is formed from a continuous length of metal rod bent to provide a bottom run 12 which extends fore-and-aft substantially the entire length of the device, a generally vertical portion 14, an upper run or seat-support 16, and a crossover portion 18 which extends generally rearwardly and downa transverse medial portion 24 of metal tubing integrally extending from the upper end of each front post 20.

For connecting the side members 10 to the base posts 2021, each end of each such side-member is bent outwardly, to provide a horizontal finger 26 extending through an opening 28 in the inner side of the associated post 20 or 21, and thence downwardly to, provide a hooklike end 30 which, after assembly, will be located within the tubular post. The two hook-like ends 30 on each side member 10 lie in planes which are parallel or at least so nearly parallel that they can be simultaneously threaded through the post-openings 28 which receive them. In that threading operation, each side member 10 swings upwardly about the line joining the two openings in the associated posts 20 and 21 until it reaches a generally vertical position. Desirably, as is shown in Fig. 5, each opening 28 is provided with a bushing 34, the head-portion 36 of which dresses the base opening 28 andthe sleeve-portion of which provides a journal for the finger 26. I prefer to make the bushing of brass, as this ma.- terial is easily worked in the blind openings to provide inner shoulders for locking the bushing, and gives noisefree bearing support to the finger 26 as the jumper is in use.

Interconnecting the two side-members 10 along the front of their upper runs 16 is a cross-member, desirably a shelf or tray 40, with which desirably is mounted a bead-bar 42 or the like. Conveniently, c1amp-plates44, each having a portion bolted as at 46 to the tray anda portion embracing the upper run 16, are used to attachthe tray to each of the side-members. of the bead-bar 42 are desirably formed to overlie the upper runs 16, then follow the perimeter thereof for about then run forwardly to end in hook-portions 48 to be held by the clamp-plates 44. This provides for easy yet positive assembly from a knocked-down shipping condition. i

To the generally vertical portions 14 of the side members 10 is connected a back frame 50, generally of an inverted U-shape. Desirably, such connection is obtained by providing each vertical side-member portion 14 with a socket formed by a pair of opposed clamp plates 52, held together by rivets 54, which sockets telescopically receive the ends of the back-frame legs. Desirably also, each of such clamp-plates is formed to overlie stretches of both the seat-supporting run 16 and the vertical'run 14, to counter-act any tendency of rotation or other movement of the clamp with respect to the side-member during jumper agitation. As will be clear from Fig. 3, the parts above described are so constructedand arranged that the socket channels and the legs'of the back frame cannot be brought into alignment without some elastic distortion of either the side members or the back frame. As specifically shown in Fig. 3, the lower ends of the U-shaped back frame 50 lie in vertical planes, while the sockets which receive those lower ends are inclined upwardly and inwardly, with the result that the angle between the axes of the sockets ,is different from the angle between the lower ends of the back frame. Insertion of the backframe legs into the socket channels therefore will necessarily be accompanied by some distortion of the parts and introduces into the parts strains which create friction sufii- As shown, the ends 3 cient to impose a substantial opposition to disassembly. This is of especial advantage in ready assembly from a knocked-down shipping condition.

A sheet of suitable fabric or similar material is formed with'an inverted pocket portion 60 adapted to fit snugly over the back frame 50. Beyond the bottom of such pocket 60 the fabric extends forwardly to provide a seat portion 62, and a narrow crotch strap 64, the latter being brought forwardly and upwardly from such seat portion to be supported by the tray 40. Laterally from such seat, this fabric is brought outwardly to embrace the upper rnns 16 of the side members to form seat-sides 68 to be held by the seam 70. The seat may be reinforced by a sheet of fibreboard 72 or the like.

When a child is seated in the jumper, almost any bodily movement e s up p e in wa e of rot ti n l nd v ri y tr ns t y mo n o oth egula and irr gul nature; yet it is virtually impossible for a small child seated in such a jumper to cause it to tip over.

Although I have shown and described a specific cmbodiment of my invention, I intend to cover all changes and modifications of the example herein chosen for purposes of disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a baby jnmper having a seat and a rigid base, generally horizontal seat-supports extending fore-andaft at the sides of the seat, a first resiliently bendable member rigidly connected to each seat-support near the front thereof and extending from its point of rigid connection to the seat support rearwardly and substantially in a single generally vertical plane to a rear end, a second resiliently bendable member rigidly connected to each seat support near the rear thereof and extending from its point of rigid connection to the Seat support forwardly and substantially in a single generally vertical plane ,to a front end, and means for pivotally connecting the front and rear ends of said resilient member on parallel horizontal axes to the base at fixed points thereon, one of said resiliently bendable members being substantially straight for the greater portion of its length and the other of said resiliently bendable members being curved for the greater portion of its length.

2. A baby jumper as set forth in ,claim 1 with the addition that each said support and both of its associated resilient members are formed from a continuous length of resilient stock, the first resilient members being curved in the form of an upwardly concave arch.

3. In a baby jumper having a seat and a rigid base including a pair of interconnected spaced members formed from metal stock into a general U-shape to provide upstanding corner posts, generally horizontal seatsuPPorts extending fore-and-aft at the sides of the seat, a first resilient member rigidly connected to each seatsnpport near the front thereof andflextending rearwardly to a rear end, a second resilient member rigidly connected to each seat support near the rear thereof and extending forwardly to a-front end, and means for pivotally connecting the front and rear ends of the resilient members respectively to-said cornerposts at fixed points thereon, one of said resiliently bendable members being substantially straight for thegreater portion of its length 4 and the other of said resiliently bendable members being curved for the greater portion of its length.

4. In a baby jumper having a seat and a rigid base, generally horizontal seat-supports extending fore-and-aft at the sides of the seat, a first resiliently bendable member rigidly connected to each seat-support near the front thereof and extending from its point of rigid connection to the seat support rearwardly and substantially in a single generally vertical plane to a rear end, a second resiliently bendable member rigidly connected to each seat support near the rear thereof and extending from its point of rigid connection to the seat support forwardly and substantially in a single generally vertical plane to a front end, the free ends of both said first resilient members being bent to provide transverse aligned fingers, and the free ends of both said second resilient members being bent to provide transverse, aligned fingers, said base being provided with openings pivotally receiving said fingers.

5. In a baby jumper, a base, a seat, a pair of resilient side-members supported by said base and supporting said seat, a back, two sets of transversely spaced and telescoping provisions carried by said back and said, Sidemembers for supporting said back, each said set of tcle scoping provisions including a socket and an elongated element telescopically receivable in said socket, said sockets being relatively disposed with their axes in a predetermined angular relation, and said elongated elements being disposed relatively in a second predetermined angular relation, said second predetermined angular relation being slightly different from said first whereby insertion of the elongated elements .into the sockets will result in elastic distortion of said side members.

6. The invention set forth in claim 5 wherein said sockets are secured to said side members and said back comprises a frame formed from metal rod bcntinto the general shape of an inverted U, the legs ofwhich form said elongated elements.

7. The invention set forth in claim 5 wherein said elongated elements form parts of the back and each said socket comprises a pair of opposed ,clampqalates and means clamping each pair of such plates ,to one of said side members.

8. The invention set forth in claim 7 wherein said side-members are provided with bends to provide nonaligned adjacent stretches along which said-,clamp-plates extend to oppose movement of the clamp-platc with respect to the side-members.

References Cited in tliefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 143,515 Lehmann Oct. 7, 1873 328,564 Bostwick Oct. 20, 1885 1,082,680 Danielson Dec. 30, 1913 1,875,500 Roeder Sept. 6, 1932 2,252,224 Welsh Aug. 12, 1941 2,347,754 Shay May 2, 1944 2,531,080 Peterson et al Nov. 21, 1950 2,679,282 Anderegg May 25, 1954 2,694,438 Frech Nov. 16, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 376,251 Great Britain July 5, 1932 667,374 Germany Nov. l0, 1938 

